Amazon.com signed a multi-year deal with Simon & Schuster Inc. this week, the second major Big Five book publisher it has reached a deal with on the price of e-books.
Online book retailer Amazon has been in discussions with Simon & Schuster since July over pricing, according to a report Business Insider.
Amazon has been in the middle of a war with publisher Hachette Book Group, the fourth-largest U.S. book publisher owned by France's Lagardere, over digital book pricing since January, leading to a number of different issues for authors.
Sales of some Hachette titles have suffered as a result of the trade dispute with Amazon.
"I think it will serve to make Hachette more frustrated with their inability to make a deal knowing that one of their competitors has reached a deal," said Richard Pine, a partner in the New York literary agency InkWell Management LLC, according to The Wall-Street Journal.
Pine, who represents authors published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette, said that Hachette authors "who are most dialed into their book sales are the ones who are most frustrated. There isn't one of them who doesn't want the situation wrapped up yesterday."
Douglas Preston, a Hachette author who heads the Authors United, said he is eager to find out whether Amazon has offered Hachette the same terms as Simon & Schuster.
"We want them to look into Amazon's market practices and see if they are engaged in predatory pricing or anticompetitive behavior," said Preston, according to The Wall-Street Journal.
Industry analysts predicted that other publishers will eventually be drawn into negotiations as well, as the internet retailer attempts to set new benchmarks for the e-book market, according to Business Insider.
Simon & Schuster negotiations took around three weeks and closed two months before Amazon's contract expired.
Simon & Schuster made its original offer and an agreement was reached after a few changes by Amazon, Business Insider reported, citing "a source with knowledge."
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